Training

Focusing on transformative changes for disaster risk management in the new normal with COVID 19 pandemic, a series of webinar carried out in 2020. The topics of the webinar focused on Disasters Collide, The pandemic and the Women, Rethinking Cities.

Disasters Collide: Managing Disasters in the context of COVID 19 in South Asia, (June 30, 2020) was organized together with the Center for Poverty Analysis (CEPA), Colombo. The Webinar was focusing on the compound disasters South Asian countries have to deal with drawing from the current attempts to navigate the COVID 19 pandemic and the other disasters simultaneously.

The discussion featured three key speakers, Dr. Sujata Saunik, Additional Chief Secretary of the skill and entrepreneurship department, Government of Maharashtra, India, Dr. Ahmadul Haque, Director of the Cyclone Preparedness programme (CPP, Ministry of Disaster Management and relief, Bangladesh, and Dr. Mahbuba Nasreen and Mr. Chinthaka Rathnasiri Followed by an interactive discussion with the participants. The session was moderated by Ms. Karin Fernando, representing both CEPA and Duryog Nivaran.

Women and work in the Pandemics: Resilience and Recovery (July 28, 2020) was organized together with the institute of Disaster Management and vulnerability studies (IDMVS), University of Dhaka. The discussion focused on major three areas, as “Women and work which are rights of women in the informal sector”, “ Women in SMRs” and “ Female migrant workers”.

The speakers of the discussion were: Ranjan Karmaker, Gender and Development Alliance, Bangladesh, Priyanthi Fernando, International Women’s Rights Action Watch-Asia Pacific (IWRAW-AP), and Sharu Joshi Shresyha, South Asia Development Professional.

Rethinking Cities – City and Risk: Achievements and Opportunities (August 21,2020) was organized with Habitat Forum (INHAF) and the all India Disaster Mitigation Institute. Main objective of the webinar were to discuss and share the experience of the participants in supporting their cities in addressing the impacts of COVID -19 pandemic at city levels; and to identify the new and emerging role of city administration in COVID – 19 preparedness, response and recovery.

The webinar brought together ten academic and practitioners from Urban design, Planning, development practice and architecture and design backgrounds. Elizabeth Dean Hermann, Professor, Rhode Island School of Design, Muhammad Taher, Member, Duryog Nivaran Steering Committee, Animesh Kumar, Deputy Chief (Asia-Pacific), UNDRR, Krishna S. Vatsa, Member, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Achyut Luitel, Regional Director, Practical Action, Monica Khosla Bhargava, Principle Architect, Urban designer, Kham Consultants, Nayana Mawilmada, Sector Head, John Keells Holdings PLC and Bijay Kumar, Executive Director, Global network of Civil society organizations for Disaster reduction. The panel was chaired by Mihir R. Bhatt, Director, All Indian disaster Mitigation institute (AIDMI